The streets of Breezewine City were just like anywhere else, packed with vendors hawking their wares. Evan Chu had zero interest in anything they were selling—even if someone laid out a top-tier lower-realm weapon right now, he wouldn’t bat an eye.
He picked a random tavern and walked in. It had been ages since he’d tasted mortal-realm wine, so he decided to eat and drink his fill before worrying about directions.
Evan chose a quiet corner and sat down. The tavern was still bustling, with plenty of chatter, but it was all ordinary gossip—none of which interested Evan in the slightest.
A waiter immediately came over, gave Evan a quick once-over, and noticed his flashy clothes. He smiled and said, "What would you like, sir? This tavern is one of Breezewine City’s most famous—if you can name it, we can serve it."
Evan smiled faintly and said, "I’d like some Celestial Nectar Jadewine. Do you have any?"
"Celestial Nectar Jadewine? Of course! That’s our specialty—sir, you really know your stuff, even our signature brew. But it’s pricey: one high-grade Starstone per bottle. How many would you like?" the waiter replied instantly.
Evan glanced at the waiter and said, "Just bring me two bottles for now, and a few of your signature dishes. You’ll get your Starstones, don’t worry—just be quick and there’s a tip in it for you."
"Please wait a moment, sir—coming right up!" The waiter rushed off, probably running extra fast for that promised tip.
"They even have Celestial Nectar Jadewine here? That’s just wild. Even in the Immortal Realm, plenty of taverns don’t carry it, let alone a place in the lower world. Ridiculous!" Evan muttered to himself.
He spoke softly, but the men at the next table heard him loud and clear. There were three middle-aged men, all around the Heaven Martial Realm. One of them laughed, "Now this is rare—someone who actually knows about the Immortal Realm. Do you guys know what the Immortal Realm is?"
"No idea. Maybe you can find out in a dream, haha!" another man joked.
Evan ignored their mockery. To him, these men were even weaker than ants—he could just stand there and let them attack, and they wouldn’t be able to scratch him.
Soon, the waiter brought over the food and two bottles of exquisitely packaged wine—this had to be the tavern’s Celestial Nectar Jadewine.
Evan kept his word and handed the waiter a high-grade Starstone. "Here’s your tip. If I need anything else, I’ll call you."
The waiter hadn’t expected this young man to be so generous. He snatched up the Starstone and said, "Thank you, sir! Thank you!"
Evan poured himself a glass and noticed it was green. He was a little surprised, so he took a slow sip—and nearly jumped out of his seat. The Celestial Nectar Jadewine here tasted exactly like the Immortal Realm’s version.
The only difference was, the Immortal Realm’s Jadewine boosted Immortal Spirit Force, while this one increased Stellar Power. The similarity was uncanny.
Seeing Evan’s expression, one of the men at the next table laughed, "Bumpkin’s a bumpkin—doesn’t even know Celestial Nectar Jadewine boosts Stellar Power, but still wants to brag about the Immortal Realm. Hilarious."
"It only helps people at the Earth Martial Realm, anyway. Judging by his face, he must’ve gotten quite a boost. Let’s keep drinking—no need to bother with an ant like him. In two days, the Divine Continent’s Continental Tournament hits its most exciting stage. Too bad we don’t have enough Starstones to go watch. Annoying!" another man said.
"Wouldn’t help us anyway. This time, Frostbane Sect’s two outstanding siblings are sure to win the tournament. If you really want to go, though, I’ve got an idea," said the third man.
"What idea? Spill it!" demanded the first man.
"Isn’t there a god of wealth sitting right next to us? He just tipped with a high-grade Starstone—I bet he’s got supreme-grade Starstones on him. If we do it right, it’ll be easy money."
The three glanced at Evan again and decided to go for it. But when Evan heard ‘Frostbane Sect’ mentioned, he was startled—could those two siblings be Tian’er and Lin’er?
When the three men walked over to his table, Evan smiled. "You guys are hoping to get some Starstones off me, huh? If you’ll answer a few questions, I’ll give you some supreme-grade Starstones as payment. But if you try to rob me, you’ll die horribly—instantly."
The three men froze. They hadn’t expected this kid to call them out so calmly, and they couldn’t see through his cultivation at all. Was he a Saint Martial Realm powerhouse?
"So, what do you want to know? If we know the answers, we’ll tell you. We were thinking of robbing you, but we’ve changed our minds," one of the men said.
"What’s this tournament you mentioned? And what exactly is the Divine Continent? Who are Frostbane Sect’s brother and sister?" Evan asked. If they could answer those, he wouldn’t need to ask anything else.
"The Continental Tournament happens every ten years. Any young talent can join—as long as you look under forty, you’re eligible, no matter your real age. Some cultivators with longevity techniques are two or three hundred years old and still compete.
‘Divine Continent’ is a name that only caught on in the last few centuries. After Frostbane Sect’s first powerhouse, Evan Chu, lifted the seal on the Godfall Battleground, the sect’s disciples broke the barrier between the Azure Tide Ruins and the outside world. Now there are Teleportation Arrays everywhere—any city can reach the Azure Tide Ruins.
This time, the tournament’s being held at Frostbane Sect’s mountain gate in the Azure Tide Ruins. But you need a supreme-grade Starstone to use the Teleportation Array. As for those siblings—they’re the son and daughter of the Divine Continent’s former number-one expert, Evan Chu. That should tell you everything, young master," the man said slowly.
"So that’s how it is. How many days until the real tournament starts?" Evan asked.
"It’s already been going for a few days, but those were just elimination rounds. The real matches start in two days—that’s when things get exciting. Are you interested in watching, young master? If so, we can show you the way!" the man replied.
Evan had made up his mind. "Tomorrow, we’ll head to Frostbane Sect and check out the tournament. I’m actually a disciple of a hidden sect, already at Eighth Layer Saint Martial Realm. If I’d known about this earlier, I definitely would’ve joined."
As soon as he said that, the three men broke out in cold sweat. An Eighth-Layer Saint Martial expert could kill all three of them in an instant...